The present invention relates generally to agricultural equipment and more specifically to a meter assembly for seeders and drills or the like implements.
Implements such as conventional seeders and drills commonly include one or more seed and/or fertilizer hoppers which open downwardly into a metering device which meters the material into a distribution system for placement at a preselected rate in or on the ground. The metering device typically includes a housing bolted to the hopper or implement frame, a feed gate, and one or more fluted feed rolls journalled in the housing adjacent the gate and driven by a sprocket and chain structure. The feed roll drive in turn is powered from a ground-engaging gauge wheel or other suitable device for rotating the feed rolls at a rate dependent on the ground speed of the implement. On seeders of the type employing chisel plow or field cultivator structure, such as the commercially available John Deere 665 Central Metering Seeder, the feed roll drive is engaged whenever the implement is lowered to till the soil.
The feed rolls must be periodically inspected and the flutes must be regularly cleaned to assure accurate and efficient metering. Accumulations of material in the feed roll housing, particularly caked fertilizer, also must be removed to prevent corrosion and improper metering.
Removing the metering device for cleaning and servicing is time-consuming and inconvenient because numerous mounting bolts must be removed from the feed roll housing, and once the bolts are removed, additional adjusting bolts in some models must be loosened to lower the housing to clear the bottom of the hopper. In addition, the meter drive chain must be removed. Because the task of removing the metering device is presently inconvenient and time-consuming, meter inspection and maintenance is often neglected to the detriment of the accuracy and useful life of the device.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved meter assembly for drills and seeders or the like implements.
It is another object of the invention to provide a meter assembly which is easier to inspect and service than at least most of the previously available metering devices. It is a further object to provide such an assembly which may be supported by the implement during inspection and servicing, and while the hoppers are emptied, thereby eliminating the need for the operator to lift the entire unit from the implement.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a meter assembly which eliminates the step of removing a plurality of bolts for servicing.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a meter assembly which can be positioned for cleaning the material containers and feed rolls without removing a meter drive chain. It is a further object to provide such an assembly wherein the drive is automatically connected during assembly and disconnected during disassembly, and wherein the assembly includes additional structure for conveniently disconnecting the drive at any time.
In accordance with the above objects, a meter assembly is provided which is hingedly connected to the implement at a first end and held in place at the opposite end by over center latches. For inspection or service, the operator releases the latches and allows the assembly to swing downwardly about the hinge pivot for easy access to the meter mechanism. The assembly includes a meter spur gear which engages a drive gear when the assembly is latched up in the working position. As the assembly is swung downwardly from the working position, the gears disengage automatically, and the step of removing a drive chain is eliminated. The gears mesh into driving relationship automatically as the meter is swung back into the working position. The drive gear shaft is journalled for rotation in a lever-mounted bearing. The lever can be positioned for removing drive from the meter even when the ground drive wheel is on the ground, for example, when the meter is utilized with a tillage implement and the operator wants to till a portion of the field without distributing seed or fertilizer. The swing drop design is easier to use than previous bolted connections, and the time required to inspect and service the meter assembly is reduced so that meter maintenance is less likely to be neglected. The meter can be dropped quickly to empty the tanks when seeding and/or fertilizing is complete. The operator will benefit because he will be able to make more efficient use of his time.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description which follows and from the accompanying drawings.